A method for providing a fractured bone with a bone cerclage according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, wrapping a folded piece of suture around a bone at least once, and securing the suture to the bone.

A suturing apparatus comprises a pair of jaws. A bendable needle housed in one of the jaws is adapted to carry a suture. An optional suture receiver may be disposed adjacent to the opposite jaw. A transition block curves the needle and directs it in a direction generally unparallel to an axis of the carrying jaw. The needle may also be configured to retrieve a suture. A retaining mechanism holds a suture in place to be engaged by the needle. The jaw housing the needle may include a lateral opening through which the suture may be inserted. The needle may also include a lateral notch which may be aligned with lateral opening to receive the suture. An actuator coupled to the needle enables the user to move the needle proximally to align the notch with the lateral slot.

A device for the transosseous insertion of suture threads comprises: —a main body (1), equipped with a grip (2), supporting a protruding cannula (3) provided with an active end (30); —a flexible thread-like element (4) which is housed in a coaxially sliding manner inside the cannula (3) and is suitable, on command, for exiting from the active end (30) of the cannula (3). The thread-like element (4) is made of a super-elastic, shape-memory material and thus has the property of freely assuming, at least in an adequate temperature range for which its operative use is foreseen, a natural and predetermined curved form at least in a determined portion of the terminal part thereof. Means are provided for producing the coaxial movement of the thread-like element (4) in the two directions relative to the cannula (3).

Described are methods and apparatus for use in supporting tissue in a patient's body. In some embodiments, the patient's breast or another tissue is supported. One method involves introducing a superior soft tissue anchor into a patient, the anchor having an inferiorly facing total surface area; and introducing at least one inferior soft tissue anchor into the patient, such that the at least one inferior soft tissue anchor is suspended from the superior soft tissue anchor, the sum of all of the at least one inferior soft tissue anchors having a superiorly facing total surface area. The inferiorly facing total surface area of the superior anchor can be greater, such as at least two times greater than the superiorly facing total surface area of the at least one inferior anchor.

In a general aspect, a medical device can include an external arm having a receiving mechanism, and an internal arm coupled to the external arm such that the receiving mechanism of the external arm is movable with respect to the internal arm. The medical device can also include a sliding component including a needle configured to be coupled to a portion of an implant and configured to slidably move the needle toward the receiving mechanism of the external arm.

An arthroscopic surgical device for tunneling through hard tissue including an arcuate tunneling needle driver and a bone engagement element, the arcuate needle driver and the bone engagement element being joined together to provide a joined needle driver and bone engagement element having at least two different operative orientations including an arthroscopic operative orientation wherein the joined arcuate needle driver and bone engagement element has a trans-incision insertion cross-sectional footprint and a tunneling operative orientation suitable for tunneling, wherein the joined arcuate needle driver and bone engagement element has a tunneling cross-sectional footprint which is substantially greater than the insertion cross-sectional footprint.

In one embodiment, a method of repairing a heart valve accesses an interior of a patient's beating heart minimally invasively and inserts one or more sutures into each of a plurality of heart valve leaflets with a suturing instrument. The suture ends of the sutures are divided into suture pairs, with each pair including one suture end from a suture inserted into a first valve leaflet and one suture end from a suture inserted into a second valve leaflet. One or more tourniquet tubes is advanced over the suture pairs to the leaflets to draw the sutures together to coapt the leaflets and then the sutures are secured in that position.

A suture passing device includes a jaw assembly that is moved to an open configuration after exiting a hollow needle distal tip and moved to a closed configuration when retracted into the needle tip. The jaw assembly may include a pair of jaw members biased to a default diverging configuration. A suture capturing mechanism formed on the jaw members securely captures suture to both push and pull the captured when the jaw assembly is retracted into the hollow distal tip. The device may also include a second suture capturing mechanism that loosely captures suture and enables the captured suture to slide.

A method includes engaging a clamp over a length of tissue to be sutured. A helical needle is advanced along a length of the clamp such that the helical needle passes through the tissue to be sutured. A leading end of a suturing thread is attached at a tip of the helical needle. The leading end of the suturing thread is captured. The helical needle is retracted back through the tissue so as to leave the thread in place. The clamp is disengaged from the tissue. A device for automatic suturing includes a clamp configured to be positioned over a length of tissues to be sutured. A helical needle is configured to be advanced and retracted along a length of the clamp. The needle has a tip. A suturing thread having a leading end is attached to the tip of the helical needle.

An anastomosis device includes a housing that has a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion of the housing supports a first suture deployment assembly and the second end portion of the housing supports a second suture deployment assembly. Each of the suture deployment assemblies includes a drive member and a plurality of sutures. Each of the plurality of sutures supports a tissue piercing member. The drive members are engaged with the tissue piercing members and are movable to eject the tissue piercing members and the sutures from the first and second suture deployment assemblies.